Rwanda’s Paul Kagame Emerges Angry Man of Africa
President Paul Kagame of Rwanda Image credit X.com
Rwanda-Congo Conflict Deepens While M23 Rebels Gain Territory
By Manish Anand
New Delhi, February 15: President Paul Kagame of Rwanda is seeking to rewrite Africa’s history. M23 Rebels, alleged to be backed by Rwanda, captured a vast swathe of eastern province of Congo.
Latest reports said that Congo’s mineral rich Kivu may soon fall to the advancing M23 Rebels. African journalist Hopewell Chin’ono described M23 Rebels to have been born out of March 23 Movement to defend Tutsi people within Congo. M23 now controls Congolese territories, almost one-third of the size of Rwanda.
Amid deepening conflict, Kagame addressed the African Union Peace and Security Council. Congo’s President Félix Tshisekedi skipped the meeting.
“I am not seeking any favour from anybody in this room to be given permission for me to live or for my people to live? Absolutely not. I will live by the fact that it is my right,” Kagame told African Union Peace and Security Council.
Rwanda-Congo conflict was born out of Europeans carving out colonies in the 1883 Berlin Conference. The 1994 Tutsi genocide turned Rwanda and Congo into perennial enemies. Hutus who perpetrators the mass killings were absorbed in the Congolese army.
Explained: Festering Great Lakes Crisis between Rwanda & Congo
Rwanda claims that Congo harbours militants who pose threat to Rwandan territorial integrity. The Berlin Conference partitioning left Banyarwanda people living in both Congo and Rwanda.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa recently squarely blamed Rwanda for pushing M23 Rebels into Congo. He alleged that the Rwandan Defence Force was acting in connivance with M23 Rebels. “Territorial integrity of Congo must be protected,” said Ramaphosa.
Kagame termed Ramaphosa a liar. “If the blame game, nice speeches, lies, being shameless, were the solution to this problem, it would have ended long ago. We wouldn’t have this problem. We have people who tell lies without any reason,” Kagame told African Union Peace and Security Council on Friday.
Incidentally, Ramaphosa and US President Donald Trump are also sparring over ‘Expropriation Act’. Ramaphosa told Trump to “mind his own business” over claims that land of a section of the people in South Africa is being snatched.
Kagame is blaming Congo for the “mess”. Reports said that M23 Rebels are marching fast to capture more territories.
“How can FDLR (Rwanda) not exist in the minds of some people? Or why is it something that is supposed to be trivialized? When you trivialize that; you trivialize my history and I am not going to accept it. It doesn’t matter who you are,” Kagame asserted in his speech.
The Rwandan President asserted “Rwanda’s right to live without begging for permission”. “Discussions on the conflict must acknowledge historical truths like the existence of the FDLR,” said Kagame.
He was menacing in his speech. “Congo is too big for Rwanda to carry on its back. As I told you, we are a small country. We are a poor country. But when it comes to the right to live, don’t you be mistaken. I am not begging. I will not beg anyone.”
South Africa, Malawi, and Tanzania contribute to the peacekeeping force in Congo for decades-long conflict with Rwanda. “How does Congo think all their problems come from outside, and therefore they outsource solutions for their problems? Rwanda has nothing to do with Congo’s problems. We have our own problems to deal with,” Kagame said in a clear rebuttal to Ramaphosa’s accusations that the Rwandan Defence Force is adding to firepower of M23 Rebels.
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